Southwestern to rework training contract with Xe

CHULA VISTA:
Southwestern College's governing board voted last night to renegotiate its decision to send its police academy cadets for weapons training to a South County firing range owned by Xe, the company formerly known as Blackwater.

The board had unanimously approved a deal in January that gave the college free use of the Xe training center in exchange for offering the military contractor use of college conference rooms. Xe's center and Southwestern's police academy are blocks apart in Otay Mesa.

The trustees voted 4-1 to have college officials try to amend the deal by striking clauses granting Xe a contractual right to use college rooms, requiring Xe's approval of news releases and providing reimbursement to Xe for any costs it incurs as a result of college use of the range.

An amended deal would ultimately require another vote of the trustees.

Educators, students and other community members rallied before the board meeting to call for trustees to rescind the agreement. They said the college should not be associated with Xe because of the company's involvement in the shooting deaths of 17 Iraqi civilians in Baghdad in September 2007.

In December, federal prosecutors in the United States charged five Blackwater guards with manslaughter in connection with the shootings. A sixth guard admitted in a plea agreement to killing at least one Iraqi during the incident. –C.M.

Carlsbad council allows
hotel at Legoland site

CARLSBAD: Legoland California moved another step closer to building a hotel on its amusement park property.

The park has proposed building a 250-room hotel on its parking lot at Palomar Airport Road and The Crossings Drive in western Carlsbad.

The Carlsbad City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to allow a hotel at the park, which was zoned for tourist uses but didn't specifically include an inn. The hotel proposal will need separate approval in the future.

Hotel rooms will be decorated in a Lego theme, park officials have said.

No one spoke against Legoland's proposal at Tuesday's hearing. The park's construction was approved by a citywide vote in 1994.

Legoland California offers rides and attractions based on the popular building blocks and miniature figures.

The California Coastal Commission also must approve the proposal. –M.B.

Pilot loses license in light
of video with porn actress

SAN DIEGO: A La Jolla helicopter pilot who turned up in an Internet video showing him engaged in sexual acts with a porn actress while flying over the city has had his wings clipped – again.

The Federal Aviation Administration yesterday issued an emergency revocation of the commercial pilot's license of David Keith Martz. Martz must surrender his license and will not be allowed to fly, said FAA spokesman Ian Gregor.

Martz, who previously had his license revoked twice and suspended twice, is appealing the FAA action, Gregor said. A hearing will be held before an administrative law judge, probably within the next 30 days, to determine whether Martz gets his license back.

The FAA trained its sights on Martz again in February after he appeared in a video on the gossip Web site TMZ. The video, originally shot in 2007, showed Martz fondling a porn actress, who then performed a sexual act on the pilot while he flew over San Diego.

“These actions showed a careless and reckless disregard for safety and showed that he lacks the care, judgment and responsibility to hold a commercial pilot certificate,” Gregor said.

The emergency revocation takes effect immediately. –G.G.

Convention center panel
scheduled to meet tonight

SAN DIEGO: Mayor Jerry Sanders' task force on a convention center expansion will move faster than expected, with the second of three planned meetings scheduled for tonight.

When Sanders announced the task force in January, he said a decision was expected by September.

Now the citizens task force plans to meet three times – the last meeting is scheduled for March 26 – before giving a thumbs up or thumbs down on whether the city should expand its bayfront convention facility, which officials say is full and turning away business.

At the first meeting, Sanders said he believes an expansion is a good idea. Despite that, he asked the task force to consider the question objectively. Whatever the group's decision, Sanders said he will abide by it.

Tonight's meeting will be at 6 at the Scripps Ranch public library, 10301 Scripps Lake Drive. –J.S.

Coast Guard investigates
two oil spills in S.D. Bay

SAN DIEGO: The Coast Guard was investigating two oil spills in San Diego Bay yesterday that left a light sheen on the water. Both spills were reported about 8 a.m., said Coast Guard Lt. j.g. Amanda Sardone.

Investigators took samples from the water and from vessels in the area in hopes of determining the source of the spill.

Cleanup efforts continued until sunset. The Coast Guard planned to fly over the spill zones at sunrise today to assess the situation. –G.G.

Scattered light showers
could fall in county today

A weak low-pressure system moving through Southern California could bring scattered light showers to San Diego County this morning and afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.

Rainfall totals should be less than one-tenth of an inch in most areas.

Today's showers could be the last the area sees for a week or more, forecasters said. Late February through mid-March is typically one of the region's wettest times of the year, but only 0.05 of an inch of rain has fallen since Feb. 16 at Lindbergh Field, the official weather station for San Diego.

The city's 8.80 inches for the overall rainfall season, which began July 1, is above average.

Highs today are expected to reach the low 60s along the coast and inland. –R.K.